


The Missing Seal, a Nanette Druu mystery

by owlaholic68



Series: D&D In-Universe Literature [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: (light), Alternate Canon, Detectives, Drow, Drow Culture, Gen, Matriarchal society, Mystery, Nancy Drew parody, Period-Typical Sexism, The Underdark (Forgotten Realms), Worldbuilding, in-universe fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29032941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlaholic68/pseuds/owlaholic68
Summary: Amateur young detective Nanette Druu is called upon to solve a case: a prominent Drow family matriarch is missing her Family Seal. This serious crime calls into question family alliances and puts the family, and the city, on the brink of disaster.
Series: D&D In-Universe Literature [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129931





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> excerpt from Chapter One of this in-universe mystery novel.

The office of Lysal Bariter located three blocks down from Matel’s bustling central guard station. This means that instead of cramming into a packed waiting room in the central hub, Nanette Druu can wait in a quiet antechamber for her scheduled appointment with a younger son of the Underdark’s greatest guard Family.

Surprising that such an apparently important case was not given to someone of higher rank and greater experience. Nanette has no doubts about Lysal’s abilities, though: last time she worked with him, she found him to be worthy of his family’s reputation. Quick, clever, and quiet.

And respectful, too: he does not make her unnecessarily wait.

“Mrs. Druu,” he warmly greets when his receptionist lets Nanette into his tiny office. “Thank you so much for coming on such quick notice.”

Nanette gives a small bow of acknowledgement. “I had no other pressing cases,” she admits.

“Chocolate?” Lysal offers.

“Yes, please.” She takes off her light Trilimac mushroom hat: specially constructed to keep breezes moving through her cropped hair even in the hot season. Her soft dyed hat she hangs on a rack by the door. She has no cloak to hang as the weather will not permit any more than the lightest linen high-waisted blouse and contrasting ankle-grazing skirt. Over this is a breezy spider-silk pinafore dyed in the particular shades of white and copper that signify her Family association.

Lysal leaves the room and comes back with icy cold mugs of chocolate, each with a dollop of sweet Rothe cream and shavings of Bluebell mushroom stalks that add a sprinkling of color to the drink. A trio of small marshmallows adorn the mug and create a sculpture-like effect with the cream. The thick smooth beverage refreshes Nanette after her sweltering gondola ride across the city to the office.

“How is business?” She asks out of politeness. She is eager to learn of this upcoming case, but not rude enough to ask first thing. There are niceties to get out of the way.

“Too busy.” Lysal gives a small smile and sips his chocolate. He adjusts his elbows so that his billowy sheer sleeves do not trail onto his papers: large impractical sleeves are several seasons out of fashion but many men still enjoy them. Even though Lysal is a younger son of his Family, he still pays enough attention to fashion to be wearing a standing-collar knee-length vest over his light shirt. Under his plain-weave skirt that only comes down to halfway between his knee and ankle, he wears a stylish new garment that the fashion world has mockingly called “pant sleeves”: sleeve-like pieces of cloth that tie above the knee but give the impression of wearing a full pair of pants, which would be an unbearable inconvenience in such heat.

Of course, all Lysal’s garments are in stark black and white. The uniform of the guard, and by extension, his Family business.

“There must be no shortage of crime in a city so large,” Nanette remarks. “Don’t you ever long for a quiet post?”

“Not at all. My cousin in Dampi just wrote to tell me how terribly boring it is. I wouldn’t trade that for this. I enjoy the challenge.”

Nanette laughs. “Spoken like a true Bariter!”

He laughs along with her. “So my mother is always saying.” He takes a few more sips of his cold chocolate drink. “And how is your husband doing now?”

“Oh, he’s much better, thank you. The clerics said it was all due to a change in the weather and a dip in the underground pressures.” Nanette can’t stop a fond smile. “A few healing appointments, a bit of rest, my grandfather’s chilled rhubarb soup, and he’s all cheerful again. Thank Lolth for that, right?”

“May she grace us all with such good health.” Lysal puts a hand over his heart. “He’s staying at the manor?”

“He is,” Nanette confirms. “Spent all last week fretting about me, according to my mother who had to put up with it at all hours. She finally convinced him to tutor some local children in calligraphy. Such a noble task to occupy himself with, and it’s so nice to know how well he is with the young.”

Lysal raises an eyebrow. “Oh? You two are already considering expanding your family?” He waves his hand to indicate he meant no offense. “I mean, you’ve only been married for seventy years or so. Some might see that as taking it a bit fast.”

“But it will do him _such_ good,” Nanette argues. “He’s got his hobbies and his social life, but he says he wants more.” She struggles not to roll her eyes. “He wants to _help,_ Lysal. He’s spoken about volunteering at the Orphanage. Even though there’s really no need to stress himself like that, no need at all.” She sighs and shakes her head. “He’s got baby-fever, Lysal.”

“Then perhaps you’d better start planning. It sounds like he’s got it bad if he’s talking about things like that.” Lysal rearranges some papers on his desk. “Tell him to enjoy the boredom while it lasts.”

Nanette gives another smile and sips her chocolate. “Now, what is this interesting case you have for me?”

Lysal pulls out a folder of papers and opens it. The first page is a sketch of a Family Seal: this one on a chain as a pendant necklace. “The Eclad family matriarch has lost her Seal,” he explains.

Absently, Nanette touches her own Seal, a brooch on her collar depicting a shoe. It often raises more questions than it should, mostly about how a cobbler’s daughter ended up as a private detective. But this Seal in the sketch shows a jeweler’s hand-glass and an ornate necklace: the Eclad Family is known for their excellent jewelry skills.

“Oh dear. Discretion required?” She murmurs. The Family Seal of the matriarch of an _extremely_ rich and powerful family going missing? That’s a crime of serious caliber.

“Of course. Nobody is to know that the Seal is missing, not even close family members. The ma’avi isn’t sure who to trust. She didn’t even want to go to the normal authorities.”

“Sensible. Now the Seal, what’s the tied magic on it?” Nanette asks out of curiosity. Her own has an _Expeditious Retreat_ charm built into it, but each Family’s Seal magic was different.

Lysal flips through his notes. “A simple charm that will detect poison in food,” he relays. “The Family is quite paranoid, apparently. Had a few incidents in the past.” He picks out a folded piece of paper and hands it over. “This is a letter of introduction to get you an audience with the ma’avi at their manor, should you want to start there.”

“I probably will.” Nanette browses the neatly-written notes that Lysal has already compiled. “You tried to have it tracked by a mage?”

“Yes. I regularly work with Janette Clande. She specializes in finding objects but said that this one was blocked by something.”

“A lead box, possibly. Standard thief tactic. That will make things more difficult.” Nanette sweeps all the papers into the folder and tucks it into her bag. A Clande Family mage is an _amazing_ asset. “I’ll still speak to her and have her try periodically. Whoever has it may risk taking it out for brief periods for some reason. It’s worth a shot.”

“It is worth a shot,” Lysal agrees. “Good luck, Mrs. Druu.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bariter. I’ll keep you informed of the case progress.”

“And I’ll send some compensation to your residence.”

Nanette winks. “I’ll have to make sure my husband doesn’t get to the funds first, though,” she jokes.

Lysal laughs. “Expensive tastes?”

Her chuckle is answer enough. She grabs her light hat on her way out, back into the sweltering metropolis of Matel. Time to get to work.

Crime doesn’t wait: neither should she.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even this can escape the Drow literary trope of a "Marshmallow husband": sweet, soft, and willing to do anything for the female lead...

The city manor of the Druu family is of a modest size, tucked between a leather maker and a millinery shop. It is less than a block away from the water. The neighborhood is of other craft Families, friends and collaborators of the family. The Druu Cobbler Shop is the front portion of the manor. Behind it is a central courtyard surrounded by the other three-fourths of the house.

All of Nanette’s family live here with the exception of a few cousins who have started a business offshoot in the desert.

The plain entry hall is empty. Nanette undoes her shoes and leaves them in her marked cubby. The tile floor is cool under her aching feet: she’d gone all around the city finding dead-end leads and fruitlessly following up on clues, and now she longed for nothing more than a cold bath and a drink.

“Nancy?”

She turns. Oh, and of course, she wants her sweet husband too. “Ned!”

Nedwin Druu, né Shanel, is much shorter than Nanette’s biological family: he only comes up to her nose. His hair is dark and coarse, unlike her family’s auburn-blonde hair. His obsidian-black eyes sparkle with joy when Nanette gives him a hug and a kiss.

“You – you were gone for _ages,”_ he quietly laments, still holding her close. “I missed you.”

“New case,” she explains. “Can’t talk about it, but it’s going to be a big one.” She tucks his rumpled high collar back in place. “I’ll be gone almost all day this whole week.”

“I’ll pack you lunches, then,” he eagerly offers. “Can’t have you going hungry.”

She laughs. “Like that will happen with _you_ around!” She removes her hat and hangs it on a hook near the door. “Come along. I’m going to take a bath before supper.”

Always loyal, always clingy, he comes with her to the bath and tenderly helps her underdress. After she sinks into the cold water with a delighted sigh, he gets to washing her hair.

“Drinks,” she contently murmurs.

“Of course, darling. Just a minute.” He rushes out of the room and returns a few minutes later with two glasses of dark purplish-red wine: commonly nicknamed “Spiderblood” wine because of its popularity with Acolytes of Lolth and as an offering to the Spider Mother.

“You are an angel.” She gratefully takes the wine.

He blushes, smiles, and gives her a shoulder massage. What a shame that every person couldn’t find themselves someone like him, she smugly muses.

After her bath, he dries her and helps her dress in a wrap-front house dress.

“N-Nancy,” he starts. Sits down on a low couch and gestures for her to join him.

Nervous, she does. He looks unsure and anxious. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he rushes to reassure. “It’s just…I had a sign from Lolth today.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“Y-Yeah. When I went to the Temple yesterday morning, I asked her…” he trails off and gently takes her hands. “I asked her about having children.”

“Oh.” Her face feels hot. “And?”

He points to the corner of their bedroom where a few weeks ago a mother spider had made a nest and put her precious eggs inside.

The nest is gone and in its place is a thick web holding a hundred tiny newborn spiders.

“They hatched this morning after you left,” Ned softly says. He kisses her hands. “I think she approves.”

“That – that’s _wonderful,”_ Nanette says. The stress of the day is starting to catch up to her. This is a big decision to make in one night, but it’s a conversation that’s been coming for some time. “I don’t know what we’d do if she disapproved of it.”

Ned smiles. He was deeply devout to the Spider Mother: he went to their local Temple every morning and the gigantic central Cathedral once a week. He volunteered at every Festival and prayed to the Lady of Arachnids three times a day. It’s nice that his devotion has been answered in the form of this very clear sign. “Not right now, of course,” he assures her seeing her stress. “You’re so busy with your cases. But soon.”

“Soon,” she echoes. “Yeah. Soon.”

“I’ll get us signed up for all of the classes. You don’t have to go to them at first, since of course I’ll be the one who will be with – with the children at all times, but eventually…” He grins again.

All doubts about this extension to their family are erased: Nanette would do anything to make her dear husband smile like that. She kisses him, and kisses him again, and doesn’t stop until they’re called for dinner.


End file.
